While the recently completed Stanley Cup Final might have looked somewhat competitive based on Florida’s 4-2 winning edge, it really wasn’t.
Most glaring statistic to back up that contention: The Edmonton Oilers led the six-game action for a grand total of about 34 minutes.
General managers and scouts from other teams are always watching late-rounds action to see if there might be any new trends developing for success.
Actually, there’s really nothing to report that hasn’t already been there for a hundred years. The Panthers had a size advantage, better goaltending (ex-Flyer goalie Sergei Bobrovsky) and, in this case, the psychological advantage of having defeated Edmonton in the previous year’s championship round.
So when it comes down to the Flyers and their rebuild project, is there anything they can learn from Florida’s blueprint?
Well, you can start off with the size factor.
There are only so many Travis Konecnys, Bobby Brinks, Matvei Michkovs and Jamie Drysdales you can have on your roster.
GM Daniel Briere acknowledges the franchise, once known as the “Broad Street Bullies” many years ago, needs to go back to those roots in some fashion.
Whether through free agency, trades or even the draft, the Flyers could use a few more Nick Deslaurier/Garnet Hathaway types on their roster.
At least the Flyers have a few of those big bodies to help guard those players who don’t.
“There are other areas we can protect those guys (Konecny, et al) with,” Briere said. “The Hathaways of this world. . .the Deslauriers, the (Nick) Seelers. We’re aware of it.”
Then there’s the goaltending situation.
The trio of Samuel Ersson, Ivan Fedotov and Aleksei Kolosov had its moments but when the ice chips settled on the 2024-25 season, the Flyers finished 28th overall in the NHL. All three goalies had save percentages under .900 and goals-against averages above 3.00.
Of course some of the blame for those mediocre numbers falls on the guys playing in front of them. But regardless of the circumstances, the overall performances show the Flyers need to consider an upgrade at this crucial position.
Which is why at least one question related to this matter was asked of Briere and his staff during last Tuesday’s pre-NHL Draft press conference at the Flyers Training Center in Voorhees, N.J.
Will the Flyers have their eye on a goaltender either through the draft or when free agency begins? Or perhaps through a trade?
Just remember: Legendary Bernie Parent was never officially drafted by his first NHL team (Boston) back in 1965 and the franchise’s second-best goalie, Ron Hextall, was a sixth-round draft pick in 1982.
Assistant general manager Brent Flahr answered the draft part. The Flyers have three first-round picks when the NHL Draft gets underway on Friday and seven picks in the top 48. Would they use one of those first-rounders on a goalie prospect?
“There are a number of goalies that our guys are high on,” Flahr said. “We think there’s a lot of potential. We’ll manage that as the draft goes along. We have a number of picks in that range (five in 22nd to 49th), we’ll see.”
Finally, if the Flyers are to end this somewhat embarrassing franchise record-tying five-year/no-playoff drought, they’re going to need to play a more cohesive, all-hands-on-deck style of play.
That didn’t seem to be the case last season, which was former coach John Tortorella’s last. Tortorella did a good job of teaching the fundamentals but his style appeared to rub some players the wrong way, which may have helped facilitate the trades of players such as Kevin Hayes, Ivan Provorov, Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee.
Chances are Tocchet will be a bit more of a “player’s coach.” That doesn’t mean he will be soft in the discipline department but he probably won’t be benching a player of, say, the caliber of Frost for six straight games to prove a point.
In the Florida triumph, it was clear head coach Paul Maurice had the players who fit into his style of mentoring. They played like a confident bunch who competed for each other. Even recently acquired Brad Marchand, who scored six goals in the Final, looked like he had been playing with the Panthers for a decade.
Briere doesn’t give the impression he’s going to acquire future talent simply based on a profile of Tocchet’s player preference or style of coaching.
“Not really,” Briere said. “I don’t think it changes much from what ‘Torts’ was looking for anyway. When you hire a coach, he fits into the vision that we have. “Toc’ is really on board with what we’re trying to do and the things that got him excited about this team, the direction it’s going in.
“I think we’re all on board there. We have the same vision when it comes to that.”
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